PİAR Research Survey Poster Prepared for Muğla Municipalities Sparks Controversy
PİAR Research's August 2026 satisfaction survey targeting Muğla mayors has sparked controversy due to confusion in the ranking on the posters and a lack of transparency.
A municipal services satisfaction survey conducted by PİAR Research in August 2026 has come to the fore with a political poster prepared for mayors in Muğla, while the survey's financing and sample details raised question marks.
Names and Rankings on the Poster
The political poster prepared for four mayors in Muğla stated that Muğla Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ahmet Aras, Menteşe Mayor Gonca Köksal, Fethiye Mayor Alim Karaca, and Bodrum Mayor Tamer Mandalinci had won the public's appreciation.
While the poster showed Ahmet Aras second in the Aegean region with 54.2 percent and Gonca Köksal third in the Aegean region with 57.8 percent, it created the impression that evaluations from different categories were included in the same ranking.
Scope of the Research and Missing Information
According to PİAR Research's statement, the study was conducted between August 3-18, 2026, with a total of 6,400 participants in Aydın, Denizli, İzmir, Manisa, and Muğla.
The number of people interviewed in Bodrum, the demographic distribution of participants, the margin of error on a district basis, as well as the financing source of the research and its potential ties with municipalities were not shared.
Past Survey Controversies
Muğla Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ahmet Aras had reacted harshly to negative results from another research company in August 2025, but later used positive results from the same company as a reference.
The transformation of PİAR Research's positive results into a celebration poster has brought along criticism of double standards and calls for transparency in local politicians' approaches to polls.